Dear Hollywood Group,
Katherine Baker (10) recently worked with Sammi Hanratty on the set of the American Girl movie, yet to be named. Katherine was the photo double for Sammi. She was one of three girls interviewed for the part. Her physique matched Sammi’s the best and she was willing to cut and color her hair to match Sammi’s in the movie. Katherine even got to read lines in rehearsals with Annabeth Gish, who plays the mom in the movie.
It was a great experience for Katherine and her father, Jeff, to be on the set every day, working with the same people for almost five weeks. We learned to understand the laws and limits regarding working Minors in the Entertainment Industry, as they shot the movies at various call times each day. There were three hour mandatory homework rules, supervised by real teachers, and extra homework time. On the movie set there were two teachers, one for the study trailer and another on the set to supervise and monitor the kids and hours they were working.
Jeff found the food on the set to be the best. The movie had a small cast so everyone got to know each other pretty well. When the director needed extras, they called for Katherine’s older sister Cassidy (13), and included Jeff as well. It was practically a family affair. They also learned that once you dedicate yourself to a movie, it’s a big commitment and you have to dedicate yourself to keeping up with homework while you are away from school. Katherine was fortunate to have good grades and stay ahead of the class while she was out of school.
Another thing we learned is that when work is not on the studio lot, there is a mileage reimbursement and there is sometimes a reimbursement for props, such as the scooter Katherine brought and used on the set of Desperate Housewives. We thought that was a nice bonus.
Jobs recently booked by Katherine and Cassidy include: Hasbro and Exxon Mobil commercials, Desperate Housewives, Two and a Half Men, Dance on Sunset and Eddie Murphy film, A Thousand Words.
Thank you for your support,
Michelle & Jeff Baker
